Marine Protected Areas&

Marine Managed Areas

of the CNMI

Reefs Provide Protection

Primary Benefits• Coral reefs buffer

Saipan from typhoons and storm surges

Secondary Benefits• Prevent shoreline erosion

and loss of beach sand• Provide protected

anchorages for boats• Reduce property loss &

damage• Permit marine sports

activities during bad or choppy weather

Coral Reef Ecosystems

Potential Pharmacies• New drugs for treating

cancer, arthritis, bacterial infections and diseases

• In Jamaica, medicine derived from reefs is worth > $54 million

Living Museums• Well-developed reefs

are 1,000’s of years old

• Can estimate rates of climatic change or sea level rises

Reefs Sustain Fisheries

Primary Benefits• Coral reefs are

vital to fisheries

• Protected areas enhance fisheries

Secondary Benefits

• Crevices provide a hiding place from predators

• Reef system provides a diversity of foods & habitats

• Fishes can grow larger

• Fish abundance and diversity increases

Parrot Fish – Palakse`

• Keep the system in balance by eating algae inside & on corals

• Create bottom and beach sand

• Adults lay nearly 100 X more eggs for every 1 inch they grow in length

• “Gives us 99 more fish (to eat) for every extra inch we let them grow”

Reefs Have Cultural ValueMañagaha Island and its waters• Burial site of Carolinian Chief Aghurubw• Sacred ceremony of Fiirourow

– The incineration of the personal affects of a loved-one who has passed-on

• Medicinal plants for traditional healing• Afuk – a key ingredient for betel nut• Traditional fishing grounds for food

Reefs Attract Tourists

Active Use Activities

• Para sailing

• Banana boating

• Glass bottom boats

• Submersibles

• SCUBA diving

• Hookah, Snuba

• Fishing, harvesting, and beachcombing

Passive Use Activities

• Laying on the beach

• Swimming, playing

• Kayaking, canoeing

• Snorkeling, coral viewing

• Paddle boats & sailing

• Family outings & BBQ’s

• Bird watching, photography

• “Quiet sanctuary”

Protected Areas offer Aesthetic Quality

Daily tours to

Bird Island &

Forbidden Island

Overlooks generate $$$

• Must see places!• Must have pictures!

Protected Areas offer Opportunity

Hiking, Mountain Biking, Outdoor Recreation

Protecting the Living Asset

$60 million in revenue from 500,000 tourists annually*

Many tourists visit Protected Areas during their

holiday in

Saipan

*source: MVA

What is a Conservation Area

• Place that is uninhabited• Place where cultural and recreational activities are

permitted• Place that has specific areas designated for these

activities depending on their impact• Place where the resources and ecological functions

of nature are protected from overuse by man• Places that serve as refuge or recruitment area

Protected Areas

ofSaipan

TheMañagaha Marine Conservation Area

Protecting our Resources and Natural Assets

Negative impacts of fishing• high fishing pressure• destructive fishing practices• abandoned nets / gear and scuba spear fishing

Negative impacts to cultural uses• Trampling and destruction of medicinal plants and herbs• Interruption of family and traditional activities• Loss of 'quiet sanctuary'

– noise, on-lookers, photographers, and incompatible use activities.

Conflicts & Concerns

Negative impacts of tourism and enterprise use

• Increased water use and wastewater discharges

• Gift shops can create trash, food services can attract rats

• Cats were introduced to control rats, but eat endangered shorebirds and disturb their nests and eggs

Negative impacts of marine sports activities

• Vessel congestion can cause collisions with divers, boats and reef flats

• Fuel, oil, trash and waste pollutes the water (jet ski fuel)

• Anchoring damages corals

Conflicts & Concerns

Marine Protected AreasPermit compatible cultural and recreational uses

• Active Use Zones with dedicated commercial moorings

• Passive Use Zones for safe swimming, snorkeling, and paddling activities

• Restricted & Restoration Areas for propagation • User fees & permits - licenses for enterprise• Enforcement by federally funded Marine

Conservation Section• Outreach: brochures, signs, educational kiosks

How is a Protected Area good for the Economy?

No FishingSafe areas to grow &

reproduce

No Motorboats No anchoring on corals

No water pollution

from oil & gas

No Harvesting No removal of corals,

& marine life

• Fish grow bigger & have more young which makes more fish available outside the protected area

• Fosters more types of fish

• Corals grow bigger and more diverse in clean water

• Corals grow faster and are brighter if left undisturbed

• Tourist experience is “pristine” rather than polluted and disturbed

• Creates a reason to return to Saipan

Marine Conservation Areas are good for business….

• Fosters marine sports activities in the Saipan Lagoon Para sailing, SCUBA, hookah, banana boating, and snorkeling.

• Provides a protected anchorage for boats, reduces beach loss, and minimizes property damage from storms

• Provides food fishes to sell at markets and restaurants

• Medicinal plants and afuk supply traditional needs

• Family picnics and outings create social benefits

• Healthy coral reef systems are colorful, diverse and enhance the tourist’s experience

Mañagaha Island, its protective coral reefs and clean waters, have served as a rich source of food fishes and medicinal plants. They also serve as a quiet sanctuary and a place for family to gather and conduct the sacred ceremony of fiirourow.

Now, with society changing from subsistence ‘take’ to a

cash-flow economy, we have come to a cross-road. A balance between the traditional way of doing things and the realities of the new millennium must be reached.

Maintaining a rich fishing ground, healthy medicinal plants, a place for respecting ancestors, as well as welcoming the economic revenues from tourism must all co-exist.

But the co-existence of all parties that want to use the area can only change if residents, commercial enterprises, non-resident workers, and tourists alter their behavior.

We believe that a marine conservation area can protect the natural resources while permitting vital cultural and recreational activities.

By protecting our most valued natural assets, Mañagaha can sustain our community and the needs of generations to come. Please join us by supporting and participating in this important endeavor.

Thank You

Thorne Abbott

Division of Fish & Wildlife

Lower Base, Saipan

664-6025

ThorneA@Coastalzone.com

Mañagaha Marine Conservation Area